


Love, But Make It Unrequited

by EmpressJ



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Author projecting onto Zuko, Be mad about it, Conversations, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, POV Second Person, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressJ/pseuds/EmpressJ
Summary: One of the many good things in your life, wasn't really yours.  And it was one of the best things. Her company, her kindness, her friendship. One day you would have to give it all back.  You spy her purple eyes in a sea of amber ones and remember that no matter how much fun it is, she doesn't belong here, with you. One day she'll have to go back to her own home, weather that is with Sokka in the Southern water tribe or her farther in Kyoshi. But it won't be with you."Hey friend."But for now at least, you'd have her all to yourself.********
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 5





	Love, But Make It Unrequited

"Hey friend." A voice calls, a soft one, familiar.

"It's Fire lord, when we're working." You call out to her, standing a little way behind you.

"You used to absolutely hate me calling you that." Its true you did. But it's been years with her by your side now and the teasing jokes just comes so easily to you now, even when your in a shitty mood. She moves quiet enough that you didn't hear her approach but now, aware of her presence, every agonising second until she sits down beside you, walking through the long red grass on the cliff side where your legs dangle off feels terribly loud.

"And it doesn't seem like we're working right now."

They're not. Yet you should be. There a notes on documents you need to read and scowl at during your carriage ride. And your "friend" should be strong and professional watching your back for enemies and threats the way she used to when she first started working with you. But Kiyi was tired of travelling and the view from the red grassed hills out to the sea is something very pretty in the autumn as the umber coloured leaves float down in the spiral winds. Kiyi likes the view, she runs off to play in the long cherry grass. Suki likes the view too. She always says autumn is most beautiful in fire nation. She's removed her helmet and shoes sitting cross legged beside you and smiles into the sunshine and the strong winds in her face while you frown miserably back at it.

Her elbow jabs you under the ribs. "Hey!" You gasp swatting her off as she chuckles softly.

"Why are you mad?" She hums, her head in her palms and a playful grin on her face.

"What? I- I'm not mad."

"Ooh okay, just very cross then?" You roll your eyes, pretending that you're just not in the mood for jokes at all.

" Tired." You compromise. "Diplomacy isn't my stronger suit."

"I could have told you that." She mumbles.

"I just," You sigh dejected, letting your hands drop into your lap, "I just feel like this was a wasted trip."

"No it wasn't," Suki immediately counters. "The southern coast of the fire nation is one of the most beautifully stunning places I've ever visited. And I've been almost everywhere." _-With you_. You imagine her adding at the end but it goes without saying as she exclaims loudly waving her hand in front of you. You both know you'd been together when you saw the world, diplomatic missions are a lot more fun when you can bring a couple friends with you.

"That's cause you spent your days having fun on the beeches and nights partying in the city, while I was arguing with ignorant old men stuck in the past."

"Hey that's not true, I was busy protecting your royal butt too! No need to thank me." She coo's jabbing you in the arm.

"Ow! I don't understand why you are so mean to me, your like my sister. You're never like this with Aang or Sokka and I'm your boss." You move back shuffling across the grass slightly and if you weren't cross earlier you are now. Kinda.

"That's because I love Sokka and Aang is too sweet to ever want to harm. And don't compare me to your crazy sister, I do this out of affection." You frown at that, you've never been considered adorable or sweet like Aang and certainly not the other thing not to Suki at least.

"Listen, they didn't like your proposal, in fact they hated it. They'll like the next one and if they don't, then the next." It doesn't sound ideal, the repetitive actions. But you know and she knows you won't stop till it works. "Politics is hard and confusing. But you'll keep trying, keep fighting because that is the kind of ruler you are. A good one."

"You mean that?"

"No, I'm just saying that so I can keep my job- hey!" You whack her in the arm forcing a frown again but holding back a smirk lest she thinks you find her funny. The winds sweep across the cliff side, through the red grass, shaking the red trees and she smiles. The sun sits a little higher then the horizon now, orange light shimmering over the still sea. The drop to the beach is less daunting when the view is this pretty. She sighs, watching the sun descend and wonders quietly to herself if you feel it's fall in your bending and in your blood. She'll ask you another time, she thinks saving her curiosity for later.

"Of course I meant it." She rests her head on your shoulder, leaning against your side and letting you lean back against her. And you think this would be a nice moment if it wasn't your friends girlfriend being the one at your side making your heart beat steadily increase.

Suki doesn't mind, she doesn't feel it the same way you do. You couldn't count on a hand how many times she'd comforted you like this and yes, her job is to protect you - mind and body - but she does it because she wants to, because she's your friend.

Your hand reaches out to hold her closer almost on instinct, moving with the wind but you pull it back quickly. You know this can't be any more than this, even when it feels like it should be. Her hair wafts across your chin as the wind flows past you both. And you expertly ignore the thoughts of how Sokka's hand wouldn't have had to pull back. How he'd get to hold her.

Kiyi's laughter carries on the breeze, your mothers voice calling her to slow down since we'd be leaving soon and the orange light grows deeper, softer, even with the yells behind you two it's a nice moment anyway.

At least it was something nice to smile about after she stands abruptly pulling you to your feet and dragging you back to the carriage to sit and pour over notes and papers before returning to the palace. She turns back to the sunset basking in the last light of the day and you could swear it's almost like a halo of light around her head when she turns back still smiling.

Smiling at you. Yeah, that never gets old.

********

One of the newer good things in your life, wasn't really yours. And it was, one of the best things.

Her company, her diligence, her kindness, her friendship, her loyalty. One day you would have to give it all back. You spy her purple eyes in a sea of amber ones and remember that no matter how much fun it is working together, she doesn't belong here, with you. It doesn't matter that your closer or that you keep learning each other better. One day she'll leave and have to go back to her own home, weather that is with Sokka in the Southern water tribe or her farther in Kyoshi it doesn't matter. But it won't be here, it won't be the Fire nation, it won't be with you.

"Hey friend." A voice calls, a soft one, familiar.

But for now at least-

"It's Firelord, when we're working." You call out to her, standing a little way behind you.

You'd have her all to yourself.

********

**Author's Note:**

> hey 👋🏽  
> So I read Smoke and Shadow and thought, "Hetros but make it unrequited" (which was the original title :p). I don't really ship Zuko with anyone romantically at all so I'm very flexible writing his sexuality. Personally I think Zuko is still quite emotionally immature and unavailable for a stable relationship. I think that his romantic relationships are doomed to fail and will ultimately fall apart, so instead he values friendships higher and then confuses the two and wonders maybe if that's what love is? I don't know I wrote this at 3am on a coffee high and I think I am definitely projecting onto Zuko? I do want to marry Suki so. 🤷🏽♀️
> 
> Please enjoy, please be kind, thanks :)


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